Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 263 - The Chaotic Reunion (2)

“Young Princess!”

“Princess—” Xiao Shuang’s voice appeared from behind.

The demons had arrived.

Zanxing glanced at Earth-Eater lying under a tree. The demon was still half-reclining on the ground, with a bit of the communication talisman’s ashes left at the corner of his mouth. It seemed that while pretending to be dead for so long, he hadn’t been idle.

Xiao Shuang quickly walked to Zanxing’s side and said with concern, “Princess, I’m sorry for arriving late—”

“It’s alright,” Zanxing asked, “Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone is fine. And you…”

“I’m fine too.”

The voices of the demons hadn’t been lowered, and with the repeated call of “Princess,” everyone had heard. Mu Cengxiao questioned with confusion, “Princess?”

Zanxing sighed inwardly.

She had originally planned to follow Bu Jiang’s advice, keeping a low profile and hiding in the shadows, waiting for Gui Yansheng and the Demon Extermination Army to mutually destroy each other before seizing the Xiao Yuan Pearl. However, before reaching the Five-Wheel Pavilion, she had already encountered the Demon Extermination Army, and some things had exceeded her expectations. She had imagined many scenarios for reuniting with Gu Baiying, but she hadn’t expected it to be under these circumstances. The many rehearsed speeches about her origins were now useless, as Gu Baiying had forgotten her.

All the camaraderie of fellow travelers, past and present, the first kiss by the edge of the Changchun Pool with the scent of wine, the endless stars on a summer night beneath the Chu Hong Terrace—he had forgotten them all.

Since that was the case…

Zanxing raised her eyes and said to Gu Baiying, “Let me reintroduce myself. I am the future ruler of Hishei City, the daughter of Gui Diaotang, and the future Queen of the Demon Realm, Yang Zanxing.”

The surroundings fell silent.

The wind swept through the flower forest, lifting the snow-white hem of the youth’s robe. Mimi, seeing an old acquaintance, wanted to approach affectionately but hesitated due to the awkward atmosphere. Cautiously lowering its lifted foot, it returned to Zanxing’s side, hesitantly glancing at the person across from it.

He stood opposite Zanxing, yet seemed as distant as the farthest shore, forever out of reach.

The youth’s gaze, increasingly candid and doubtful, was even more glaring.

Until a cultivator from the Demon Extermination Army shouted, “She is the daughter of the Demon King, the daughter of Gui Diaotang! Kill her! Avenge the Immortal Realm!”

“Who are you arguing with?” Tian Fangfang couldn’t help but chop down with an axe, scolding the noisy disciple, “It’s already generous that we haven’t sought revenge for the Ten Thousand Killing Formation. Who owes whom revenge? Do you have no shame?”

The disciple choked for a moment and gritted his teeth, “What sins did Gui Diaotang commit in the mortal realm? It’s only right for the daughter to pay for the father’s debts.”

“Gui Diaotang has been buried for many years, and he’s dead. What debts are there left? Stop being unreasonable,” Tian Fangfang retorted without backing down.

“You!” Unable to counter Tian Fangfang, the disciple threw a hat at him, “You speak for the demon race, you’re one of them. Taiyan Sect is indeed colluding with the demon race, a nest of snakes and rats!”

“Our Taiyan Sect certainly doesn’t have disciples with as much backbone as those from your Chihua Sect,” Mu Cengxiao, who had been silent, glanced at him and spoke nonchalantly, “If there’s a problem, don’t expect my Martial Uncle to save you. Trash.” Since Mu Cengxiao had read through the stack of books given by Men Dong, he now handled sarcastic remarks with ease.

“Hahaha,” a woman’s light laughter rang out. The laughter was ethereal and pleasant, with a hint of frivolity and allure. It came from a beautiful and alluring young woman, dressed in cool clothing. Despite her enchanting and delicate appearance, she was holding a skull, which looked eerie and unsettling. Gently caressing the skull as if it were a cherished object, she leaned closer to Zanxing’s ear and said softly, “These cultivators are truly annoying, Your Highness. Don’t hesitate. Since they are so disobedient to you, let me take their heads off. Young men’s brain matter is the best. I haven’t left Hishei City for over twenty years, and it’s been so long since I’ve had such fresh delicacies. Your Highness…” Her voice was as melodious as a warbler, but her words were chilling, “Just let me go.” She licked the corner of her mouth and glanced at a young disciple nearby, causing him to hurriedly shrink back into the crowd.

“Wuwuwu,” the sound of crying followed. It was a man with long hair reaching the ground, wearing a white tall hat and a snow-white robe. His cheeks were painted with bright pink, and he had a naturally mournful expression. As he cried, he said, “How sorrowful, wuwuwu, they are all going to die, none will escape, wuwuwu, such a tragic death…”

A disciple from Chihua Sect glared at him, “Monster, who are you crying for?”

“Crying for you,” the mournful-faced man cried even more sorrowfully, his tone carrying an eerie emptiness. Though he was crying, it sounded more like a malevolent curse, “Wuwuwu, you’re going to die soon, you’re going to have bad luck, so pitiful…”

The disciple wanted to retort but, for some reason, felt an inexplicable fear when faced with that crying face, and involuntarily took a step back.

Zanxing understood. This Demon Extermination Army was very young and many of them likely had not personally experienced the great war between humans and demons. They had mostly seen demons only in books. Today, encountering demons for the first time, they were learning firsthand the terror of the demon race. Regardless of the cultivation level, even a three-year-old demon would be well-versed in the art of intimidation. The essence of ‘evil and heretical’ should not be underestimated. For example, just the intimidation from the Skeleton Woman and the Mournful Star had already made this group of people waver.

However… why did the Immortal Realm form such a Demon Extermination Army to deal with Gui Yansheng? It seemed that aside from the Taiyan Sect disciples, the rest of the disciples were not impressive, almost like they were hastily assembled to fill in the numbers, lacking both brains and cultivation. Without Gu Baiying, the demon followers she brought could almost easily annihilate this Demon Extermination Army.

Could this be a trap?

But what would be the purpose of such a trap?

As Zanxing pondered, Xiao Shuang spoke softly, “Your Highness, it’s time to make a decision.”

Zanxing tilted her head slightly, “Hmm?”

“This Demon Extermination Army doesn’t seem willing to let us go,” Xiao Shuang said with a gentle smile and a very polite tone. “If we’re forced into a corner, we might have to fight them. Although our goal is to enter the mountains, find Gui Yansheng, and retrieve the Xiao Yuan Pearl, since we’ve run into them and they’re relentless, we have no choice but to fight.” He sighed helplessly, “Dealing with these cultivators isn’t a problem, but it will delay us. If Gui Yansheng obtains the treasure and his cultivation increases dramatically, he’ll probably attack the Immortal Realm at once. He’s already bloodthirsty, and it’s likely the world will be bathed in blood.”

Xiao Shuang didn’t lower his voice, and his words were heard by everyone. Someone asked, “Gui Yansheng?”

“Recently, the one committing slaughter in the human sects is a golden-eyed young man,” Meng Ying said coldly. “It’s likely that the earlier sect destructions were caused by him and not related to Yang Zanxing. The one causing chaos is the Demon King’s son, not the Demon King’s daughter. Our purpose for entering the mountains is to eliminate the Demon King’s son. It seems the demons have the same intention.”

“Nonsense!” Zhao Jiaming, who had lost his cultivation, said with a dark expression. “Don’t believe their lies! They are all demons and are in cahoots with each other. Their talk about the Demon King’s daughter and son is just a ploy to deceive you. All demons are the same, and none of them are good!”

Tian Fangfang snorted, “This view is incorrect. We are also human beings, and we cultivate together, but can you say we are in cahoots with each other?” He gave a stern lecture, “There are good and bad demons, just as there are good and bad humans.”

“You!”

Zanxing lost patience with their bickering and looked at Gu Baiying. “What do you plan to do?”

Ultimately, the demons’ leader was her, and the Demon Extermination Army leader was Gu Baiying. A decision must be made. Her primary goal was Gui Yansheng and the Xiao Yuan Pearl and fighting the Demon Extermination Army now would be counterproductive. Clearly, Gu Baiying’s fighting spirit wasn’t strong today either. It would be best to resolve this peacefully if possible.

Gu Baiying frowned. “I don’t want to fight you.”

“Quite coincidental, I feel the same.”

“But I can’t let you go either.” The young man slightly raised his eyebrows.

Zanxing was silent for a moment, then looked up. “Then let’s fight after all.”

The green long staff suddenly shimmered with black light, and at the same time, the young man’s Xiu Gu spear radiated brilliance. The two of them struck at each other simultaneously. With a loud bang, the sea of flowers was swept away by a snowstorm, turning into countless flying snowflakes. The silver snow was stained with a layer of crimson, transforming into a scene of broken red petals in the air.

The staff and spear collided with a force like a giant wave crashing against a mountain. In an instant, the erupted energy spread through the air with a thunderous roar. Rocks began to tumble down from the distant mountains, and a large swath of the flower field nearby was instantly reduced to desolation.

Both the demons and the Demon Extermination Army were thrown back dozens of steps by the explosion of energy, their chests vibrating violently. Had they not been holding onto their spirit artifacts, they might have been blasted away by the force.

These two were creating quite a commotion with their fight!

Zanxing stood firm, looking at Gu Baiying in surprise. She knew Gu Baiying’s talent was extraordinary, and despite his young age, his cultivation level was extremely high. However, having given a portion of his soul to her in the past had undoubtedly harmed his own cultivation. Two years later, she thought it would be a best-case scenario if he had managed to recover his previous level. Yet, it seemed his cultivation had not only recovered but advanced rapidly.

Gu Baiying was also surprised by Zanxing’s strength, evidently not expecting her to withstand his spear. He remarked, “You’re more formidable than I imagined.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Zanxing replied, gripping the Wuyou Staff. Before she could say more, the Earth-Eater, who had been pretending to be dead, suddenly stood up on one leg and cheerfully encouraged, “Protect the Young Mistress! Charge! Kill these stinky cultivators! Avenge the former Demon King and redeem the demon race’s honor!”

The Demon Extermination Army, not to be outdone, drew their spirit artifacts and surged forward. Just as the great battle seemed about to erupt, a white bird appeared from a tree in the distance. It spread its wings and flew overhead, flapping its wings and circling above the chaos. Its black bean-like eyes fixed on the melee below, and it suddenly spoke in human words.

“The way of humanity values harmony.”

“Endure for a moment, and peace will follow; retreat a step, and the sea will be vast and open.”

“Planting trees and nurturing forests benefits future generations; burning mountains and destroying forests is an eternal crime!”